PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Wiggins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kiwanse Laka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Wiggins
vs
Laka

189 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
20
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Hilo Nutrition (video proof)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, John Wiggins!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Kiwanse Laka!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wiggins looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Laka checks a leg kick.

Wiggins tries to keep at a distance but Laka has taken the fight into the clinch.
Wiggins misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Laka.
Laka should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Wiggins is trying to break the clinch but Laka has him pressed against the cage.
Laka holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Wiggins connects with a knee to the head.
Laka takes an elbow to the temple.
Wiggins is trying to break the clinch but Laka is controlling him.
Wiggins is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Wiggins wants to break the clinch but can't.
Laka's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Wiggins avoids a wild elbow strike from Laka.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laka jumps guard but Wiggins stands there with Laka around his waist. Laka gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Laka has Wiggins pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Laka pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Wiggins tumbling to the mat - Laka dives into Wiggins's guard.
Wiggins wants to stand but Laka is controlling the position.

Laka got a little sloppy there for a moment and Wiggins has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Laka has managed to get both his arms back between Wiggins's legs - danger averted.
Laka slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Laka is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Laka is stalling in the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wiggins wants to sweep but no luck.
Laka trying to control the position from guard on top but Wiggins is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Laka trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Wiggins manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Wiggins wants to pass the guard but Laka is keeping the position.
Wiggins is looking to stand up but Laka won't let him.
Wiggins trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laka is adopting a defensive guard.
Wiggins preventing the sweep.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Laka has eaten all the pies!

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Kiwanse Laka.

Laka looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Wiggins is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Laka stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wiggins is in trouble now - Laka has advanced to mount!
Wiggins blocking the ground and pound.

Laka is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Laka stuffs the takedown.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Laka keeps the fight on the outside.
Wiggins lands a leg kick that knocks Laka off balance momentarily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Wiggins tries to keep at a distance but Laka has taken the fight into the clinch.

Wiggins gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Kiwanse Laka will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Wiggins will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Wiggins throws a leg kick that misses.
Laka swats away the attempt to clinch by Wiggins.

Laka takes the fight into the clinch.
Wiggins has Laka pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Laka manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Laka wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Wiggins has him pressed against the cage.
Laka is trying to break free.

Laka pulls guard successfully.
Laka controlling Wiggins's posture.
Laka controls Wiggins momentarily but Wiggins frees himself.

Laka scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wiggins has his takedown stuffed

and Laka counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Wiggins's guard now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Wiggins. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Wiggins is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Kiwanse Laka has got the better of the ground game so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Laka's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Laka decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Wiggins looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Laka closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Wiggins's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Wiggins thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Laka must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Laka gets to his feet - Wiggins follows without any prompting.
John Wiggins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Laka looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Wiggins is fending him off so far but Laka persists. Nope, Wiggins circles away and we're back to standing.
Laka circles away from the clinch attempt.

Wiggins gets caught napping as Laka dives in and scores a takedown. Wiggins manages to retain guard.
Wiggins wants to stand and escape but Laka is having none of it.
Wiggins keeping moving, preventing Laka from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wiggins wants to stand and escape but Laka is having none of it.
Laka trying to control the position from guard on top but Wiggins is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Wiggins lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Laka!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laka wants to hold on but Wiggins pushes him away.
Wiggins trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Wiggins is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Laka has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Laka keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wiggins can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Laka is looking to escape.
Wiggins tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.
Wiggins misses with a head shot.
Laka is wriggling around trying to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Laka wants to hold on but Wiggins pushes him away.

Wiggins swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Laka is now in Wiggins's guard. A big mistake from Wiggins there, giving up the dominant position!
Wiggins lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Laka!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kiwanse Laka showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Laka throws a leg kick but Wiggins moved away.
Laka misses with a head kick.
Wiggins tries to clinch but Laka moves out of range.
Laka tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Wiggins displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Laka.
Wiggins throws a series of punches but Laka moves out of range.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Wiggins, right into the meat.
Wiggins wants to clinch.
Laka pivots, looking for a leg kick but Wiggins is out of range and Laka settles back down.
Wiggins tries to close the distance and clinch up but Laka swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wiggins misses with a two punch combination.
Laka avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Laka misses with a hook. Wiggins ducked under it nicely.
Wiggins has a takedown stuffed.
Wiggins fakes the leg kick and cracks Laka in the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Wiggins misses with a takedown attempt - Laka sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Laka closes the distance and clinches.
Wiggins wants to break free but Laka has control.

Laka pulls guard.
Wiggins will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Laka trying to control the position here.

Wiggins avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wiggins won't allow Laka to sweep him here.
Wiggins trying to stand up but can't free himself from Laka's guard.
Wiggins trying to control but Laka is working from the bottom.

Wiggins drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Laka dives on top into guard.

Laka stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Laka is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Wiggins's half guard.
Wiggins wants to improve his position but Laka is controlling well.
Laka controlling the action here.
Wiggins slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Laka trying to control the position from guard on top but Wiggins is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Wiggins had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Laka defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laka postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Wiggins is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Laka in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Laka controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Kiwanse Laka.
I've got Laka winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Andi Peters scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kiwanse Laka!